IPL broadcast rights: Airtel and Yahoo join race, buy bid document

The estimated valuation of IPL broadcast rights is expected to fetch an unprecedented Rs 20,000 cr

The BCCI may have been embroiled in a legal tussle but there is no dearth of interest in IPL broadcast rights with telecommunications major Airtel and web service provider Yahoo also buying the bid document.

It has been learnt that apart from Discovery and Yupp TV, which had also bought bid document a few days back, there have been four more companies that have shown interest, taking the total number of interested parties to 24.

"Yes, Airtel and Yahoo have bought bid documents. Along with them, the other two new companies are BAMTech and DAZN/ Perform Group, who also have bought documents. Both BAMTech and DAZN/Perform group are working in the digital space," a BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

The 18 eligible companies, who bought bid documents last year before the process was stalled are: Star India, Amazon Seller Services, Followon Interactive Media, Taj TV India, Sony Pictures Networks, Times Internet, Supersport International, Reliance Jio Digital, Gulf DTH FZ LLC, GroupM Media, beIN, Econet Media, SKY UK, ESPN Digital Media, BTG Legal Services, BT PLC, Twitter, Facebook Inc.

All the rights will be for a period of five years from 2018-2022.

The broadcast rights are divided into three particular categories -- TV, mobile and the internet. The deadline for submission of sealed bids is September 4.

The estimated valuation of IPL broadcast rights (internet, TV, and mobile) is expected to fetch an unprecedented Rs 20,000 crore plus (approximate) for the richest cricket board in the world.

Star India and Sony Pictures Network are some of the major channels that will be vying for the TV rights of the cash rich channels.